Mayo town becomes little Argentina for the World Cup final in honor of famous son

The Mayo town of Foxford will be all blue and white for the World Cup to celebrate its links with a real Argentinean hero.

As Lionel Messi prepares to face Germany in the World Cup final at the Maracana, the people of Foxford will be shouting for Argentinean glory.

Proud of their links to Admiral William Brown, born in the South Mayo town and founder of the Argentinean navy, the Foxford folk know exactly who they will be shouting for on Sunday night.

Guiry’s public house on the main street has even been labelled the Argentinean embassy ahead of the eagerly awaited World Cup final.

The Irish Times reports that Foxford intends to ‘invoke the spirit’ of its famous son.

Known as the ‘Almirante’, Brown has thousands of streets, schools, pitches named after him in the South American state.

Born in Foxford in 1778, Brown is a hero of Argentinean independence and founder of the South American state’s navy.

Argentinean resident Rafaela Calabrese will travel from her Castlebar home to Foxford for the match in honor of Brown.

She said: “We remember him for defeating the Spanish, and we know that he helped us long before Ireland gained its own independence.”

Well aware of Foxford’s links to Brown and the town’s annual festival in his honor, Calabrese has visited the Brown museum and memorial park located in the town centre which also features a bronze bust of the Admiral.

She added: “Like tango, football is not something you can escape in Argentina.”

A statue of Brown is also located on Dublin’s Sir John Rogerson’s Quay according to the Irish Times report.

Oliver Murphy of the Admiral Brown Society in Foxford told the paper: “Brown is to Argentina what Patrick Pearse is to us.”

Murphy will shout for Argentina on Sunday night but insists the Germans won’t be forgotten either in Mayo.

He added: “Any German visitors to the town will be made very welcome despite the rivalry.

“We’ve also got Mayo playing against Galway in the Connacht football final in McHale Park in Castlebar tomorrow, preceded by Mayo minors against Roscommon, so it’s going to be a great day for roaring all round.”